Refrigerating apparatus



Oct. 12, 1937. pp 2,095,713

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 28, 1934 y INVENTOR. L 44m n! 4.PHIL/P v /6 BY WLM ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 12, 1937 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Lawrence A. Philipp,Detroit, Mich., assignor to Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Application November 28, 1934, Serial No.755,083

4 Claims.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide arefrigerating system in which the refrigerant is supplied to theevaporator bepressure conduit I5. The valve I4 is pressure operated andkeeps the pressure in conduit I5 sufiiciently high enough to prevent thecollection of frost and ice thereon.

The evaporator Ill comprises a pair of nested members A and B havingspaced sides I! and spaced bottoms I8 which provide sidewalls I9 and abottom header 20, respectively, the top and end edges of the membersAand B being continuously secured together to provide the refrigerantchamber within the evaporator which is composed of the walls I9 andbottom header 20.

The top portions of the sides I! of the inner member A are preferablyinwardly depressed to low the liquid level in sucha manner as to obtainprovide header spaces 2I which are placed in a substantially uniformintroduction of the incommunication with each other by means of a comingrefrigerantinto the evaporator and subtransversely extending tubularupper header or stantially uniform circulation throughout the manifold22 weldedat its ends to the sides I! of area thereof to prevent thesuperheat of refrigthe member A at the depressed portions thereof.

0 erant in the evaporator. The low pressure conduit I6 is connected withthe Another object is to provide a refrigerating upper header 22 bymeans of a suitable outlet system in which the refrigerant is suppliedto the connector 23. evaporator below the refrigerant level and at a ewe header is DrOVided t a i let plurality of regions throughoutthelength of the opening at one end, which receives an internally 25evaporator rather than at a localized regionas threaded inlet collar 24into which a suitable is the practice in refrigerating systemsheretofore employed.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

In the drawing:

- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a refrigerating system, theevaporator thereof being enlarged and shown in section; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectiontaken approximately on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1, showing the evaporator in detail.

Referring to the drawing, in which like numerals refer to like partsthroughout the several views, I have shown in Fig. 1, for the purpose ofillustration, a compressor-condenser-expander type of refrigeratingsystem having an evaporator I0 and including 'a motor operatedcompressor unit II, a condenser I2, a high side float type expansionvalve I3 and a second expansion valve I4 connected by a high pressureconduit I5 with a valve I3, and also connected with the inlet of theevaporator I0.

Refrigerant vapor is withdrawn from the evaporator conduit I6 leading tothe compressor and is liquefied in the condenser I2 and returned to theevaporator I0 through the liquid or high I0 through the vapor or lowpressure connector 25 is threaded, the expansion valve I4 beingconnected with the inlet connector 25 as shown in Fig. 1.

As before stated, the present invention relates particularly to themanner of discharging the incoming expanded refrigerant into theevaporator II], it being contemplated by the present invention to avoidthe discharge of refrigerant at a localized region and to provide ameans whereby the refrigerant will have a substantially even and uniformdischarge into the evaporator along one side and throughout the lengththereof, so as to obtain the proper circulation of the refrigerantwithin the evaporator.

In the form of the invention shown for illustration in Figs. 1 and 2, Ihave provided a distributing conduit 26 closed at one end and carried atthe other end by the collar 24, so as to receive the incomingrefrigerant from the expansion valve I4. This conduit extendssubstantially the full length of the lower header 20 between the spaced'bottom walls I8 of the evaporator members A and B, and preferablysubstantially midway between the side walls I9 as indicated in Fig. 2.

The liquid refrigerant is discharged through a plurality of outlets 2'!arranged on one side only of the conduit. These outlets provide a meanswhereby the incoming refrigerant will be discharged into the lowerheader at. a plurality of out its length.

By discharging refrigerant from conduit 26 through outlets 21, which arepositioned along one side of the conduit 26 only, the dischargedrefrigerant will flow in the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 2.Thus, the refrigerant will flow upwardly through side wall [9 on theright, as viewed in Fig. v2, whence it passes through header or manifold22 into side wall I9 on the left and downwardly to the lower header 20whence it is recirculated in the same direction by the action of theincoming discharged refrigerant.

Thus, the refrigerant entering the evaporator I is completely circulatedthroughout the evaporator and later is recirculated by the action ofadditional incoming refrigerant. Preferably, the level of liquidrefrigerant maintained in the evaporator I0 is at 29.

Preferably, the motor-compressor unit is intermittently operated and iscontrolled by an automatic switch 28 to which is connected a thermostatbulb 30. The bulb 30 is preferably secured to the evaporator, as shownin Fig. 2. Thus, the operation of the motor-compressor unit iscontrolled in response to changes in temperatures in the evaporator.

As shown in Fig. 2, the refrigerant outlets 21 in conduit 26 arepositioned so as to discharge the refrigerant on the same side of theevaporator as the thermostat bulb 30 is positioned. Thus, the bulb 30will be sensitive to the incoming refrigerant.

' While I have shown the invention in the form of a conduit, it is to beunderstood that the same may assume any other suitable form which willprovide for the discharge of the refrigerant into the lower header at aplurality of spaced regions throughout its length. Also, any desirednumber of outlets may be provided in the conduit.

From the foregoing, it will readily be apparent that I have provided anew refrigerating system wherein expanded (partly liquid and partly gas)refrigerant is introduced into the lower part of. a refrigerantevaporator at a plurality of points in order to prevent the possibilityof superheat of the refrigerant in the evaporator. By this arrangement,the expanded refrigerant upon entering the evaporator at a plurality ofpoints will, upon rising to the upper headers, have a tendency to pickup stagnant liquid refrigerant located between the .various points ofintroduction and thereby cause the entire body of liquid to becomestirred or agitated and circulated. This forced circulation andrecirculation prevents substantially, if not entirely, the possibilityof superheat of the refrigerant in the evaporator.

Although a single embodiment of the invention has been herein shown anddescribed, it will be understood that numerous details of the con-.

struction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention asdefined in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A refrigerating system comprising an.evaporator and a refrigerantliquefying unit operatively connected with said evaporator forcirculating a refrigerant therethrough, said evaporator comprising upperand lower headers, refrigerant containing side walls in opencommunication with each of said headers, a refrigerant distributingmember within said lower header and having an inlet connected with saidliquefying unit and having a plurality of spaced outlets for providingdischarge of refrigerant into said lower header at spaced regionsthroughout the length thereof and'toward one of said side walls only anda thermal element for controlling the operation of said liquefying unitand being responsive to changes in temperature in the aforesaid sidewall to which the discharged refrigerantis first directed.

' 2; A refrigerating system comprising an evaporator and a refrigerantliquefying unit operatively connected with said evaporator forcirculating a refrigerant therethrough, said evaporator comprising upperheaders and a lower said headers, conduit means connecting said upperheaders, and a refrigerant distributing member extending within andsubstantially throughout the length of said evaporator in said lowerheader, and having an inlet connected with said liquefying unit and aplurality of spaced outlets on one side only for providing discharge ofrefrigerant toward one of said upper headers whereby refrigerant willflow upwardly in one of said side walls to one of said headers andthrough said conduit means whence it will .flow downwardly throughanother of said side walls.

3. A refrigerating system comprising an evaporator and a refrigerantliquefying unit operatively .connected with said evaporator forcirculating a refrigerant therethrough, said evaporator comprising upperand lower headers, two refrigerant containing side Walls in opencommunication with each of said headers, and a refrigerant distributingmember extending within and substantially throughout the length of saidlower header substantially midway between said side walls, and having aninlet connected with said liquefying unit, and a plurality of spacedoutlets for providing discharge of refrigerant into one side only ofsaid lower header at spaced regions.

4. A refrigerating system comprising an evaporator and a refrigerantliquefying unit operatively connected with said evaporator forcirculating a refrigerant therethrough, said evaporator comprisingnested members having their sides and bottoms spaced apart'to form abottom header and spaced side walls and having their end and top edges.continuously secured together, and a pair of top headers communicatingwith the upperportions of said sidewalls, conduit means interconnectingsaid top headers said lower header having an inlet and a distributingconduit therein and connected with said inlet, said conduit beingarranged longitudinally of said lower header and having a plurality ofspaced outlets for providing discharge of refrigerant into said lowerheader at a plurality of spaced regions along one side only wherebyrefrigerant is circulated upwardly through one side wall to said topheaders and downwardly through said other side wall to be recirculated.

LAWRENCE A. PHILIPP.

